2004 Grant Program

Although I had prepared a lecture on the basics of the craft to precede the presentations, I decided on site to offer only very brief comments on the medium relating it to its common uses. Then, throughout the presentations by the invited artists, I informally interspersed comments when clarification or explanation appeared to be necessary. Enjoying the informality, attendees also asked questions during the presentations.

Michael Romanik demonstrated the classical cloisonné technique that he uses in used in creating his jewelry on fine silver with 24K gold wire. Using a small heart shape he explained how he uses parallel pliers to dome the piece. He uses liquid enamel for counter enameling and offered explanations of the necessity for both of these processes. He explained how he mills the wire and showed how the wires bent and imbedded in the first coat of enamel. He spoke of washing the enamel colors and mixed the many of the colors half and half with flux to lessen the intensity. He showed how he filled the cells using a 5/0 brush. He fired the prepared pieces at the various stages and explained his finishing and mounting techniques.

Marge Widmar showed the ancient and precise techniques of basse taille and champleve. She talked of where she got her ideas for imagery and showed a painting she had done of a man on a bench and mentioned that she has been working on a series based on cell phone imagery. She showed how she transfers a design using tracing paper and with works-in-progress showed the steps involved using asphaltum resist. She demonstrated sifting a base coat of hard flux and an alternative procedure for wet inlay application to adept multi-level etch, reinforcing what Michael had said about the cleaning of the enamel. She spoke of using the etched plate for making prints prior to applying the enamel. She offered tidbits of practical tips as she fired her demonstration pieces. She also showed her approach to the cloisonné technique using matte surfaces.

Margaret Yuko Kimura, who also works in the printmaking medium, demonstrated her signature work using liquid enamel. She showed the differences between working on small copper plaques and using pre-coated porcelain steel tiles. She showed how she uses the kiln to clean the copper. She also contrasted the use of transparent liquid flux and opaque liquid white, cautioning about how alike they look in the jar. Margaret graciously passed around several sketchbooks of delicate drawings about the same size as her enamels. She showed how she interprets fragments of images of landscapes (often with snow) sometimes incorporating layers of text using spontaneous brush strokes and a needle for sgraffito.

Carol Adams, in contrast to the other presenters, usually works in large-scale creating mixed media murals and integrating art and technology into architectural works although she does have a line of jewelry in animal images. Using a specific fish, she showed how she hammers and forms the piece to give it shape and texture prior to enameling. She admittedly works very loose and demonstrated the application of enamel using the drop off technique and sgraffito. She showed how she used a plastic onion bag to create fish scale textures. She spoke of pushing the medium for effect like incorporating firescale and purposely firing at high temperatures to bring out exciting variations in colors.

In spite of targeted mailings, there was another risk involved in that we really had no idea of the backgrounds and interests of the attendees. The studio was at capacity with the fifty or so people who came to see the demonstrations by the four guest artists. Many had not been to our art center before and had no experience with the enameling medium, some were collectors of the presenters' works, several were experienced enamelists and enameling students, others were professional artists in other media. It turned out that the seventeen who stayed on for the hands-on session were microcosm of that range of interests as well.

Once again, we were cognizant of the risks involved in doing the hands-on session. We wanted participants to be able to take home a satisfying piece but did not want to leave them with the impression that that the allotted two hours was enough to create a fine art work. It turned out that the presentations by the invited artists were clear in showing that many hours of preparation usually goes into the creation of a significant work.

In our planning, we felt it important to use lead free enamels in case young people would be participating. With little time, I gave up my comfort of 39years of experience with leaded enamels to test and select lead frees. We choose a limited palette and were pleased that Woodrow Carpenter responded positively to our request for a donation of some Thompson supplies. Three of my students, Linda Bouck, Rich Gleason and Andrea Kneier, helped in the effort of quickly seeing what the lead frees would do and how we would use them to provide a satisfying experience for those who attending the hands-on session. One of my students picked up some rolls of copper foil about 4inches wide at a flea market. We each designed a couple of pieces to be used as name tags for ourselves and VAC staff using a variation of the repousse technique choosing to do this rather than the formal pedantic color tests because time was so limited. A trusty safety pin held on the back with strip of glued leather worked to hold on these badges.

We also asked Darry Faust of Ferro Corporation for a donation of porcelain enamel test tiles and were given some small black squares with a single hole and some 5 1/2 inch panels with two holes mostly in white and almond shades. Our intent was to have these available should presenters need to demonstrate something they had not previously prepared to show. As we tested the new lead free enamels on the black and on the light opaque base, we noticed that the tiles might work, as small message boards should a participant feel they wanted a functional piece.